


Three Rules

by SilverArson



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Crime AU, F/M, Kidge - Freeform, earth au in Altea City, katie is secretly pidge and i bet you didn't see that coming, kidgeweek, kidgeweek april 2019, professional party-going
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-14 19:36:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18482968
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverArson/pseuds/SilverArson
Summary: Altea is an innovative city full of all kinds of people. Katie just developed an aircraft cloaking device. Keith is a professional party-goer. Katie leads a double life and Keith has no idea he does, too.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Extra special thank you to Rueitae, who gave me encouragement when I really needed it <3  
> This fic is loosely inspired by ["A Night Like This"](https://youtu.be/W3eSgfPlbhc) by Caro Emerald & Metropole Orkest. I just wanted these two in formal wear so, so badly.

_Katherine Holt. 4’ 11”, 21 years old, light brown hair, hazel eyes. Just created a cloaking device that turns aircraft invisible for up to three minutes._  

Keith navigated the mingling groups in the massive room with practiced ease. A quartet played a refined peace off in one of the corners while celebrities, scientists, and innovators ate and danced at the Advancement Gala, held on the two highest floors of Altea Tower. Bright lights made jewelry, buttons, and watches glitter all around.

The party was by invitation only, with high security and no expenses spared on extravagance. The best of wine, a divine five course meal straight from Garrett Dining, an exquisite live music performance, and the opportunity to mingle with some of Altea’s best-known figures.

So how did Keith end up here when he wasn't famous or innovative?

He was a professional party-goer. This, unfortunately, was his life.

 _Rule number one of professional party-going: Never let anyone know you're getting paid to look like you're having a good time_.

Keith spotted Katherine Holt speaking to a white-haired woman (who had to be Allura Altea) and sidled closer, hoping to get into the conversation. They both looked at him, their words coming to a stop.

Keith made himself smile at the smaller girl in the dark green formal dress with petal sleeves. “I'm sorry, but are you Katherine Holt? The one that designed InvisAble?”

She smiled back, but hers was almost snarky. “Yes, that's me. Call me Katie, though. I never go by my full name and I might not realize you're talking to me.”

Keith laughed along with Allura and kept his smile as sincere as he could make it. _Appearance_ , he reminded himself.

He knew Katie didn't go by her full name. Professional party-going wasn't just blindly walking into a room full of people. He received profiles on everyone attending the party at least a week ahead of schedule, depending on the party, and spent a couple hours every day memorizing the information. This weekend, he'd been told that his commissioner wanted him to make sure Katherine Holt had a good time. As one of the youngest attendees with one of the largest claims to fame, she was important to impress.

“I’m Keith.” He held out a hand and she shook it quickly, glancing at Allura. Keith did his best not to look away from Katie to catch the other lady’s expression. “I’m really impressed by the work you’ve done. What inspired you to study technology?” Keith had been told the best way to get a person to like and trust you is by letting them talk about themselves—and it had worked on everyone so far. Keith didn't like talking about himself anyway.

Katie pushed long curls behind her shoulder. “Honestly? My family. I grew up on this kind of stuff and I'm not stopping anytime soon.”

“What about you, Keith?” Allura asked. “I don't think I've met you before. What do you do?”

 _Rule number two of professional party-going: Never give out personal information. Lie if necessary_.

“I was invited as a plus one to escort,” Keith said. “But she's on her feet now that dinner's ended and ended up chatting with some other people, so I'm currently on my own.”

“Ah, I see,” Allura said, her blue eyes sharp. “It's unfortunate that you got separated from your girlfriend.”

“What?” Keith blinked, a little surprised by how forward she'd been with her assumption. He didn't like to pretend to date anyone since that usually invited people to pry about details, so he corrected her. “She's not my girlfriend. Just a friend.”

“Oh, my apologies,” Allura said, lightly resting a hand on his arm. “I was just didn't want to take too much of your time if you were here with someone else. But you should have a drink with us!”

Katie's eyes bugged, but Allura wasn't looking at her.

Keith didn't like the way drinking made him feel—he tended to be an emotional drunk—but he couldn't turn that down without putting a damper on his efforts to get closer to Katie. “I’d love to.”

“Great! Stay right here and I'll be back with some drinks,” Allura said before gliding away in her navy blue evening gown.

“Allu—” Katie started, but she cut herself off when it was clear Allura wouldn't turn around.

Keith sensed her anxiousness like it was his own. He'd been a nervous wreck for the first six months of his job—and he _still_ didn't like parties, honestly. He only did it because...well. That was a long story. “Am I making you uncomfortable?” he asked upfront, since there was no use skirting around the issue.

Katie glanced back at him. “I'm just...not much of a party person. It's not really you, I guess.”

Keith shrugged. “I get it. I'm not really cut out for this either.”

Katie raised an eyebrow as she looked over his gelled hair, fitted suit, and striking red tie. “Could've fooled me,” she said

 _I'm here to fool everyone_ , Keith thought.

Allura returned with two glasses of champagne, the liquid bubbling beautifully in the glasses. “Here you go!”

Keith accepted one and Katie accepted the other. Frowning, Katie asked, “You didn't get one?”

Allura laughed lightly. “I only have two hands! I'll be right back.”

“You can have mine,” Keith offered.

She waved the glass away. “No, silly, I just got that for you! I'll be fine. See you soon!”

“She totally could have grabbed three glasses,” Katie muttered grudgingly.

Before Keith could answer, a voice came over the speakers and the entire audience hushed.

“I'd like to thank all of you again for coming tonight to celebrate Altea's efforts to improve, innovate, and invest in the future.”

Katie stepped over a few paces so she could see the speaker through the crowd and Keith followed, even though his height made it easier to see the speaker, Alfor—Allura's father and one of the top business people in Altea.

Alfor smiled, looking impressively regal in his dark suit. “Now, I ask that we clear a spot on the floor for dancing and give a hand to our quartet, who will provide our dance music for the next hour.”

The crowd clapped as they shuffled out to the sides of the room and Keith sipped carefully at his champagne. The quartet started up a piece he quickly identified as a waltz—thanks to part of his party curriculum.

“I meant to be in the bathroom for this,” Katie said, drinking half of her champagne in one go. Nerves, probably.

“For the entire hour?” Keith asked.

“Extreme situations call for extreme measures.”

“Careful about using a hacker catch phrase,” Keith teased. “Someone might think you're Pidge.”

Katie choked on her drink.

“Are you alright?” Keith asked, worried he'd already ruined his efforts to get along with her.

Katie finished off her champagne to try and stop choking. It helped a little, but not much.

“Is there– _cough_ –another drink nearb– _cough_?” Katie tried.

Keith glanced around but didn't see any. “You can have mine, I only took a small sip from this side.” He shouldn't have made a joke about a controversial topic with the girl he was supposed to be entertaining. Pidge was a well-known hacker in Altea, and one that had sprung up just a year ago. They had already exposed sex trafficking circles, corrupted corporate scams, and—the most recent one—an anonymous blackmailer targeting Alfor Altea.

Except the method for these accomplishments was illegal. A number of Alteans argued against the lawlessness of it, asking when the hacker would turn on good people—and warned Pidge may have done just that already.

Pidge remained anonymous through all the media pressure and threats, only responding with “Extreme situations call for extreme measures” when they uncovered one of the corporate scams. It had become a slogan for youth and the hacker's supporters.

Katie eyed his glass of champagne like she'd rather not have someone else's drink, but she dissolved into another coughing fit that turned her face red. She took his glass and he accepted her empty one in return.

“So awkward,” she muttered when she finally stopped coughing. Her voice sounded strained. “I think I need to get out of this overcrowded room.”

“I'll come with you.”

“No, I don't want to ruin–”

“You're not supposed to isolate yourself when you're choking. I just want to make sure you're okay.”

Katie pursed her lips. “All right. Do me a favor and use your height advantage to guide us through this crowd.”

Keith smiled. “You got it.”

After setting their empty champagne glasses at the drink table, the two stepped out of the open double doors into the adjacent hallway. A few other party-goers had stepped out for conversations, but it still proved to be much quieter. Katie kept walking, and Keith followed, until she wandered down the hall far enough to finally find an empty velvet chair to sink into.

“My feet are killing me,” she muttered, reaching down to tug at her shoes. They had heels but they were shorter than the heels he usually saw at a party of this caliber.

Keith sat in the chair next to her. “I've heard heels are quite painful.”

“If our feet were the same size, I'd steal your shoes, to be completely honest,” Katie said. She grinned at him. “And you'd have to wear these.”

Keith forced himself to laugh. “I deserve it, after making you choke.”

Katie's smile fell but she waved a hand dismissively. “Eh. The hacker's just kind of...a sensitive subject. Since...uh. The whole thing with Allura's dad.”

Keith nodded, temporarily distracted by a happy couple laughing as they walked past and back to the party. “Are you close?”

“With the hacker?” Katie blurted. “Absolutely not!”

“No, with Allura,” Keith corrected, eyeing Katie. Her cheeks were still flushed, maybe from choking or possibly the champagne. Katie's record presented her as a confident and self-assured person, but she seemed a little off-kilter.

“Oh. Right. Yeah, we've known each other for a few years.” She stood abruptly. “Actually, I think I need another drink.”

Keith blinked. Should he go with her? It felt like she wanted to get away from him.

“I'll catch you again later,” she said, waving as she hurried off.

Well.

Keith sighed and looked at his silver watch. There would still be two more hours of this nonsense. He'd give himself a break for a bit and then try and casually run into her again. If that didn't go over well, he'd just leave and take the pay cut. He'd only managed to talk to her for a few minutes, and that meant a grand failure. He'd make it to the next party's paycheck, probably.

When Keith finally talked himself into returning to the party, he promptly ran into Allura.

“Oh, hello again Keith!” She smiled. “Wandering around on your own? Why aren't you with Katie?”

“She excused herself earlier.”

Allura made a displeased expression. “Of course she did… Well, I need your help.”

“My help? With what?”

Allura gestured for him to follow and he did. “By the way,” she said, “remind me who you said you came with?”

“I didn't say.”

Allura looked at him out of the corner of her eye as her heels clicked across the floor.

“I'd rather keep it to myself. She doesn't want rumors about us dating.”

“Mm,” Allura hummed noncommittally.

Allura suspected he was lying about something. Which he was, but as long as she didn't think he was a paid partygoer, he didn't care. He didn't hang out with this crowd outside of work. They stood in a completely different league, so if someone he wasn't paid to entertain didn't like him, it wasn't his problem.

Allura stopped and pointed into the dancers. Keith followed her finger and spotted Katie in her green dress dancing with man in a blue tie. He kept doing complicated dance steps and Katie was barely keeping up.

“Would you please separate those two? And don't tell her I sent you.”

Keith eyed Allura.

“Please?” Allura said again, smiling sweetly.

“All right.” It would be a good way to get back in swing with Katie, but why was Allura encouraging it so much? “She did say her feet were hurting, so she probably needs slower dancing.”

“Oh, absolutely!” Allura agreed. “And I'm sure you're an excellent dancer. Go get her!” Allura pushed him gently and Keith, still a little bewildered, slipped around dancers and tapped on the man's shoulder, bringing the dance to a halt.

“May I dance with Katie?” he asked.

That got him a deep frown from the brown-haired boy. “Right now? Can't you see I'm dancing with her?”

“It's okay, Lance,” Katie said, almost looking relieved. “I'll dance with you again later.”

Lance let go of her and his frown turned into a friendly smile. “I'm holding you to that.”

Lance promptly glared at Keith as soon as Katie turned away to get into position with Keith. He ignored Lance and listened for the next measure.

Katie's grip on his hand wasn't strong and Keith could tell she didn't dance much, but she reacted quickly to his guidance. He kept the progressive waltz steps predictable, switching to the box step occasionally as he worked through the dancers.

“You dance a lot differently than Lance,” she said, looking up at him.

“You said your feet hurt.”

Katie smiled at that. “True.”

They lapsed into silence and Katie's gaze drifted to the other dancers around her, as if she didn't quite trust him to avoid running into anyone. Her long hair swayed gently with their movements and the tip of her skirt brushed over his shoes whenever he stepped forward. Her perfume drifted over him, stirring memories of open fields full of wild flowers.

 _Rule number three of professional party-going: Never get attached to anyone_.

Keith realized he was staring and interrupted himself. “Is it alright if we do an underarm turn?”

“Dude, just lead me into it and I'll catch on,” Katie said with a small laugh. “This isn't my first rodeo.”

Keith smiled. He got bored out of his mind dancing the basic box step, so he intended to mix it up a little. “Just stop me if your feet hurt too much.”

“Got it.”

Keith threw in an underarm turn, and she obliged. Without announcing it, he also attempted open twinkles. She immediately caught on and he found himself smiling again. Katie may not dance often, but she could carry herself. Soon, the dance ended and Keith stepped back with a slight bow.

Katie laughed. “You know, you're an alright guy.”

Keith found himself returning an honest smile. “You're an alright girl.”

Keith had more fun that night than he'd ever had at a party before. It turned out Katie liked to talk, and Keith let her. He had never been much of a conversationalist but he could be a good listener, and it was easy to listen to Katie since she spoke so passionately.

She also seemed to carry a dislike for massive crowds, meaning that she didn't interact with as many people as she possibly could, and this was an incredible break for Keith. He'd spent the day preparing himself to come out of this in an introvert coma, but it seemed he wouldn't have to spend as much time recovering.

By the end of the night, he almost regretted saying goodbye to Katie.

Almost. But he wouldn't let himself.

Zethrid picked him up in a black company car. “Did you smash it?” she asked in her naturally loud voice. Keith sometimes found Zethrid’s enthusiasm overwhelming.

“I think it went well,” Keith said, undoing his tie as she pulled onto the street. “But I'm still glad it's over.”

“Did you turn down after party invitations again?”

Attending an after party meant a bonus on the paycheck, but money wasn't enough to convince Keith to spend more time than necessary with strangers. The actual party was always more than enough. “Didn't get invited to one this time. Didn't seem like my assignment was interested in one.”

Zethrid grunted. “One of these days you won't get back to the office until five in the morning. After parties are a blast.”

Keith, tired of having this conversation every party with at _least_ one of his co-workers, simply grunted.

Back at their main building, a place decked out with changing rooms and vanities on the first floor with , computer rooms and offices on the upper floor, Keith made quick work of changing back into his civilian clothes. He left his suit behind for cleaning, jumped on his motorcycle, and sped home, already forgetting about his evening.

Keith usually liked to shower in the morning, but the gell in his hair felt stiff and uncomfortable. So, after a short hot shower, he finally collapsed into bed, curled up under his covers, and drifted off to sleep.

Another weekend, another party, another paycheck. Done.

Except when he dragged himself out of bed around nine in the morning and pattered into the living room in just his sweatpants, someone was sitting on his couch.

She looked up at him, her eyes practically on fire, and Keith wanted to know exactly how Katie Holt found him and broke into his house.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chapter lengths are a bit sporadic bc I didn't mean for this to get so long and didn't make convenient chapter breaks XD sorry, but please enjoy!

“You have some explaining to do,” Katie snapped. She threw a pale yellow manila folder—the folder with information about her, Keith realized—down on the paper-covered coffee table between them.

“How did you get past my security system?” he demanded, but she just rolled her eyes. “How did you even know where I live?”

“It wasn't that hard, Keith Kogane, and I want answers. Who did you tell about our conversation in the hallway?”

Keith blinked and gave her an angry “what?” look as he tried to think of what she meant. “I haven't told anyone anything. I don't know what you're talking about.”

Katie's eyes flashed and suddenly she was on her feet. Her hair, pulled up into a high ponytail, swayed back and forth as she stomped up to him. “Don't lie to me. There are articles on it. _Who did you tell?_ ”

Keith stepped back. “No one! I said nothing! I haven't even filled out my report yet!”

Katie stepped forward to close the gap again and asked accusingly, “The report for your party infiltration agency?”

Keith's nostrils flared and he stood his ground. “You have ten seconds to get out of my house before I call the police.”

Katie did take a couple of steps back then, but only to pull his smartphone from her pocket and hold it up outside of grabbing range. “You have ten seconds before I break your phone and leave with all the information I hacked from it.”

Keith's eyes went wide. That had been on his nightstand. “You—how long have you been here?” And what all had she done?

“Answer my questions first, Keith,” she said, walking back to the coffee table and picking up papers he didn't recognize from among his files and reports. She held the first one up and Keith skimmed the headline.

_Katherine Holt Emotional about Alfor's Blackmailer Reveal_

She ripped the page aside to show the next article, and then the next.

_Does This Prodigé Know Something about Pidge that We Don't?_

_Techie Genius Possibly Connected to Notorious Hacker_

“These started popping up around six this morning, and I want answers. I'm only going to ask one more time. Who. Did. You. Tell.”

Keith gritted his teeth as the conversation with Katie in the hallway after she'd choked rushed back into his mind. He looked her square in the eyes and said, “I never told anyone.”

Katie threw the papers on the ground and growled in frustration.

“You can't blame me for someone overhearing a conversation in a public area,” Keith continued.

The stiff anger in Katie's shoulders dropped. “I know,” she said, her tone still irritated but softer than before. “It would just be easier if it had been your fault.”

“Well I'm sorry to disappoint,” Keith said sarcastically. “Can I have my phone back?”

Katie shook her head, but she seemed more inquisitive and determined than angry now. “I want to know everything about who you work for first. I know your job already so don't bother lying.”

 _Rule number one of professional party-going: Never let anyone know you're getting paid to look like you're having a good time_.

Keith sighed. He wanted to kick her out, but she had his phone and too much information already. “I need coffee first.”

Katie let him make coffee and get dressed (with an attempt to brush out his messy bedhead) as she looked through his paperwork. The air remained filled with tension and they didn't speak as he stood in the kitchen. He almost didn't offer her any coffee, but he really wanted his phone back, so he set a steaming mug in front of her before sitting on the other end of the couch. In a terse voice, he began explaining. “I work for a contracting company called Midnight, after the Cinderella story I think. Rich people want their parties to look good so they look good, and that's how I get hired.”

“Do you get told who hires you?”

“No. But it's not that hard to figure out when I know who's throwing the party.”

She squinted at him. “But they give you detailed files on everyone attending?”

“The information is private and protected and all gathered from sources like Facebook, articles, and public pictures.”

“Do you know all that for sure?”

Keith hesitated, adjusting his grip on his mug. “I don't work with data but that's what I'm told.”

“Hmm,” she hummed suspiciously, eyeing him with a look that set his blood boiling again.

“Why don't you go ask them yourself, then?” he quipped.

She glanced at the paperwork on the coffee table. “I have a feeling they wouldn't like that.”

“I don't like you asking questions, either, for the record.”

Katie ignored that and asked the next question. “Do they give you special training for this job?”

“Just social lessons. Psychology, dancing, first impressions, and all the self-help novel clichés.”

“Nothing about memorizing details or—”

“I'm not a spy,” Keith interrupted. He was going to lose it if this conversation went on much longer. “Stop trying to accuse me when it's not my fault you're in the news.”

Katie stood and held up his phone, her other hand on her hip. “One more question. Do they provide your clothes and car?”

“They maintain my suit and provide transportation to and from events, yes.”

Katie dropped his phone on the couch. “I'll be in touch with you later. If I call, you pick up. Got it?”

“You broke into my house and you expect—”

“You kept a secret from me last night about being paid to entertain me, flirted, and caused an outbreak of news articles about me, so yes, I do expect you to answer me. Until then, Keith.”

And she left without another word. Keith, shocked, watched her go and stared at his front door for at least a minute after she closed it.

Then, fire surged through his veins and with an angry yell, he snatched up the throw pillow from the couch and launched it at the front door. “I wasn't _flirting_!”

Keith sat down at his laptop and struggled to fill out his report that afternoon. Usually, he just presented the facts in the questionnaire and submitted it, but now every question looked suspicious.

_Did you arrive on time? If not, why?_

_How did your initial meeting with your attendee go? Please keep the First Impression rules in mind when you answer._

_Was your suit/dress, shoes, coat, etc. comfortable? Were there any issues with them?_

_How did your connection with the attendee feel?_

_What was the attendee's overall mood? How did they act?_

_What did you feel were your strengths?_

_What did you feel you could improve on?_

_Do you believe the attendee was satisfied? Please share experiences to support your reasoning._

_Record miscellaneous notes here_.

Keith rubbed his eyes. He'd answered these multiple times before, but Katie's suspicions nagged in the back of his mind nonstop.

There hadn't really been anyone nearby when they'd chatted. Katie had done her best to get away from people, and there had only been a couple people passing by. They'd seemed wrapped up in their own conversation, though, so it didn't make sense for them to overhear.

Keith rubbed his eyes and growled in frustration. It was just a big city job through rich people that had too much money and not enough friends. Nothing more, nothing less.

Keith gave half-answers to the questions, trying to keep Katie's early morning break-in out of his answers. They just wanted to know about his party, and that certainly wasn't part of it.

_Do you believe the attendee was satisfied?_

Katie's last comment thundered in his thoughts and he sighed before stiffly plunking out “yes” with a couple pathetic reasons, knowing full well now that Katie hated him for all of it.


	3. Chapter 3

He got a call from a number saved in his phone as “ANSWER ME” at around seven that evening. It could only be Katie, and for half of the rings, he glowered at his phone.

Except he knew she was upset, and even though it wasn't his fault, he felt guilty for some reason.

With a reluctant sigh, he tapped the green answer icon and slid his finger across the screen. “Hello?”

“I'm surprised you answered,” Katie said.

Keith's eye twitched. “I can hang up now.”

“Nope, I'm almost to your place. A friend and I are picking you up, so make sure you have a shirt on this time. We'll be there in two minutes.” She hung up without waiting for an answer.

Keith reluctantly put his shoes on and grabbed his red jacket. True to her ETA, his doorbell rang two minutes after she'd hung up.

Keith twisted the cold doorknob and pulled his door open. “What do you w–”

He froze when he saw the tall, burly man with Katie. He was almost twice as tall as her and could probably snap Keith's neck with his bare hands.

Keith desperately hoped that wasn't why Katie had brought this guy.

Katie snorted. “He's not going to hurt you. Not unless you pull something stupid. This is my friend, Shiro, by the way.”

Shiro smiled and extended a prosthetic hand. Keith shook it.

“Hi,” Keith forced out.

“Nice to meet you,” Shiro said politely, and Keith wondered if that was a veiled threat on his general well-being.

“Let's get going before someone sees,” Katie said. “I don't want any other scandal articles.”

Keith instinctively wanted to tell her he wasn't going anywhere, he would stay in his own home even if she broke in again, but Shiro waited patiently for Keith to start walking and Katie was already making her way to the dark blue Corolla still running on the side of the road.

Keith reluctantly stepped out and locked his front door.

Shiro, surprisingly, tried to make conversation as Katie drove. “What do you do outside of work, Keith?”

Keith blinked and glanced at Katie, but she remained focused on the road. “Hiking or dirt biking, when the weather is good.” Which now that it was spring and warming up a little, he’d been able to do that more often.

Katie met his eyes through the rearview mirror for a second. “Really? I didn’t take you for an outside kind of person.”

“And I didn’t expect a leading inventor to break into my house.”

Katie rolled her eyes and Shiro laughed. “Now I see,” he said. “You two are kind of similar.”

“See what?” Keith asked.

“Don’t,” Katie warned Shiro.

“Oh I won’t,” he assured, pulling out his phone and typing up a text.

“You better not be texting Allura.”

Keith couldn’t see Shiro’s expression from the back seat, but Shiro’s silence was enough to confirm that he was, in fact, texting Allura. Katie stuck her finger in her mouth and went for Shiro’s ear.

Shiro recoiled at the sensation of a wet finger in his ear, immediately rubbing it. “ _Katherine Holt!_ ”

She cackled triumphantly, but her expression shifted to panicked when Shiro put his own finger in his mouth. “You can’t wet willy me! I’m driving! I’m driving! You’ll make us crash!”

Shiro reluctantly lowered his hand. “I’ll get you back later. This isn’t over.”

Keith stared at them, dumbfounded and trying to match this interaction with his perception of Katie and Shiro.

He couldn’t make it match up.

Things did fit more into his expectations when he walked into a modest home with the two and the first person to meet them was the boy that had danced with Katie (Lance?). The angry glimmer in his eyes and stiffness in his shoulders finally called up the confrontational attitude Keith had prepared himself for, and he was all too ready to fight.

“I knew you were suspicious from the start!” Lance said, pointing an accusing finger. “Did you hide the recorder in your mullet?”

“What? No,” Keith said, his hands balling into fists. “I didn’t sell Katie out to any reporters, you lanky-”

“Let’s not jump to any conclusions,” Shiro interrupted, stepping between them and giving Lance a pointed look. “Remember Katie said he’s innocent, so we’re going to trust her.”

“Did you ask him if he likes lemon bars?” asked a boy in a warm yellow shirt. He had a plate of freshly powdered lemon bars in one hand, and the tart smell made Keith’s mouth water.

“Oh, I forgot. Sorry.” Shiro’s expression flipped to a smile at Keith and he asked, “Do you like lemon bars? Hunk is a great chef.”

Keith blinked. “You...brought me all the way here for lemon bars?”

“Actually for a background check,” Lance said, folding his arms.

“I already did the background check,” Katie said, hanging the car keys on a keyring in the kitchen. “We’re here to talk about what our next move is.”

“He hasn’t been through _my_ background check,” Lance said stubbornly as Hunk gently ushered him to the couch in the living room.

Katie didn’t respond to that, and Keith figured he shouldn’t expect to be saved from a barrage of questions any time soon. “Is Allura almost here?” Katie asked.

“She got hung up at the office, but she said she’d come as soon as she could,” Hunk answered, offering the lemon bars to Keith.

Hunk didn’t seem suspicious, so Keith accepted one. He took a bite and his eyes widened. It tasted absolutely _divine_. Hunk beamed and sat on the couch by Lance, who snatched one up as well and chewed it somewhat aggressively.

“Well, we’ll get started without Allura for now and fill her in when she gets here.” Katie opened a laptop on the kitchen counter and brought it into the living room, sitting herself on the floor and slipping on a pair of glasses. “Have a seat, Keith. This might take a while.”

Keith wasn’t sure why he was so surprised to find out she wore glasses, and really he shouldn’t care, but he didn’t know she needed them. Was it in the paperwork and he’d missed it. “You need glasses?” he asked as he sat on the gray rocking chair and finished off the lemon bar.

“They’re just for computer use. They have a blue light filter.”

Oh. Maybe it hadn’t been in the paperwork, then.

Lance sat up. “Why do you want to know? Gonna tell it to a gossip magazine?”

Hunk shoved another lemon bar in Lance’s mouth, forcing him to chew instead of talk and unintentionally leaving confectioner’s sugar around Lance’s lips. Before Keith could retort, Shiro interrupted again.

“We haven’t properly introduced ourselves,” he said, leaning against the wall behind Katie. “I’m Shiro and I work with Katie’s brother Matt on prototype testing. Lance and Hunk went to school with Katie, studying engineering and mechanics respectively.”

“I’m Keith,” Keith answered, not because they didn’t already know but because he wasn’t sure what else to say.

“Alright, Keith, when’s your next party?” Katie asked.

“I don’t think I should--”

Katie gave him a deadpan look and Keith corrected himself. “Friday. It’s the annual Spring Gala at Altea City Center.”

Katie typed this into her computer. “Okay. Everyone keep your Friday evening clear, I’m getting us invited.”

Lance perked up a little at that.

“That’s a major event,” Shiro said, looking at Keith like this surprised him.

Keith shrugged, a little uncomfortable. “I go every year.”

“What degree did you get to be able to do this kind of stuff?” Lance asked, and Katie’s fingers froze over her keyboard. “Is this what everyone in the business major actually tries to get into?”

 _Rule number two of professional party-going: Never give out personal information. Lie if necessary_.

Keith tensed. “Not everybody needs a degree to get a job.”

Lance seemed to realize he’d stepped on a landmine and glanced to Hunk for help.

Hunk belatedly moved to grab another lemon bar, but Keith snapped. “I’m a high school dropout, if you really want to know.” He glared at Katie. “Which you probably already did.”

“I didn’t tell anyone,” she said softly. “And I’m not holding it against you.”

“Right,” Keith scoffed. She was nationally recognized for her smarts, and he hadn’t finished his senior year of high school because of “behavioral issues.” She probably also knew his mom had been out of the picture since he was little, and his dad died when he was in second grade, and he’d been handed off through foster families with no real home after that.

The room stayed awkwardly silent.

Shiro pushed off from the wall and said, “You’re obviously very good at your job, and we respect that. School isn’t for everyone.”

Keith studied Shiro carefully, looking for the lie. When he couldn’t find one, he just grunted and let the subject drop.

“Back to the subject at hand,” Katie said, pushing forward. “Keith, the goal is to figure out more about Midnight. I couldn’t find much on them and I want to know more. Also, I suspect you were bugged last night.”

“Bugged? By the people that pay me?” Keith asked. Why would they do that?

“Yes. If we don’t find anything on Friday night, we’ll leave you alone and you’ll never have to speak to any of us again. But I want to plant a tracker and microphone on you, just to see what happens.”

“You seem to care an awful lot about those articles to be pushing it this far.” Keith folded his arms, tapping with one finger as he considered her. “It’s as if you do know something about Pidge.”

“Well that’s a dumb assumption,” Lance blurted.

Katie sighed. “He was going to put it together eventually. You’re right, Keith, I do know about Pidge. And I’d rather not be exposed for it. Do I need to worry about you telling someone?”

“Maybe. What’s in it for me?”

“A quiet life. If you try to expose me, you’ll step into an underground world you didn’t know Altea had. Keep it to yourself and you can walk away.”

“That’s a vague threat.”

“It’s not a threat, it’s just the truth.”

Katie held his gaze with clear hazel eyes, and something funny happened in his chest.

“I’ll think about it,” he said, and she let it go.

“Who are you assigned to on Friday?”

“A girl named Nyma.”

“Okay. And give me a summary of your routine for parties.”

Keith, unsure of what all she wanted to know, offered the bare basics. “My suit stays at Midnight and I go an hour before the party to get ready. They drive me there, drop me off, and I stay as long as I want. Then I have them pick me up, I leave my suit, and go home.”

“So you go to Midnight before and after the party?”

“Yes.”

She frowned.

“We should wait to tag him then until he gets to the party,” Shiro said. “They might catch the mic and tracker if we do it earlier.”

“I need to have the tracker on him the whole time, but the mic can wait until the party.” She looked at Hunk. “We just need to be extra careful about the tracker design.”

Hunk nodded. “Already brainstorming.”

That got a smile out of Katie, the kind of smile saved for people close to her. “Knew I could count on you.”

Keith hadn’t seen her smile like that before, and he wanted her to do it again, but she was already moving on.

“We’re going to keep communication with you to a minimum for the rest of the week, so you’re not going to be updated on how we work this out once we have the building blueprints, a list of the people going, and all our equipment. I’ll get you the tracker shortly before the party and important details. You just do your thing and we’ll do ours. Does that work?”

“I guess.”

“What are your questions about it?” Shiro asked.

“It’s just...a lot to take in. And it seems like this is something you’ve all done before.”

Lance and Hunk shared a look.

Katie pulled off her glasses and stood. “Like I said, keep your head down and you can walk away after this.”

Keith nodded.

“Well, now that you’ve met everyone and we know your basic schedule, I can take you home.”

“That’s...it?”

“Yeah. Didn’t want to do it at your place, though. Wasn’t sure if or how Midnight monitors you, and I already blew in there pretty recklessly this morning. I’ll take you home. Shiro, you coming with?”

“No, I think you’ll be fine on your own. And Allura’s going to have questions when she gets here.”

“Riiight,” Katie drawled.

Lance stiffened. “Wait, you’re just going to let them leave togeth-”

“-leave without the rest of the lemon bars?” Hunk interrupted. “Absolutely unacceptable!” He pushed the plate of goodies into Keith’s hands and ushered him to the front door, keeping himself between Lance and Keith with a big smile. “It was great to meet you, Keith, and I’m looking forward to the party!”

“Oh,” Keith managed, caught off guard by Hunk’s friendliness. Hunk pulled him into a sideways hug and the lemon bars nearly slid off the plate.

Katie caught up to them with the car keys and laughed when she saw Keith’s surprised expression. “Alright, Hunk, let him go. I’m taking him home now.”

Keith sat in the passenger seat instead of the back this time and Katie pulled onto the street. “Keith...sorry for upsetting you earlier.”

He snorted. “Which time?” He knew exactly what she meant, but he wasn’t sure if he wanted an apology.

She gave him a flat look. “I’m serious. With the stuff about...high school.”

Keith looked out the window instead of at her. “It’s fine.”

“Do you mind telling me why you dropped out?”

“It’s on the records.”

“I know that. But people are more than the reports about them. And I just...wanted to hear your side of the story.”

“Why? Do you pity me?”

He was purposefully trying to get a rise out of her. Anything to make it so he didn’t have to feel things, and he could just blame his anger on her anger. But she bit her lip hard to hold back her retort and they drove in silence for a while.

“It’s not pity,” she finally said, controlling her tone. “I think you’re a good person and bad things happened. It just reminds me of my friends. But you don’t have to tell me and I don’t expect you to.”

Keith hadn’t expected that. He reminded her of her friends? Keith had lived a largely solitary life, and to be compared to a friend was...different.

 _Don't get worked up over that_ , he thought to himself. _That's pathetic_.

Keith said nothing for the rest of the drive.


	4. Chapter 4

Two days later, Keith got a text from Acxa that said, “Update for the Spring Gala. Katherine Holt just got added to the list of attendees and you’re assigned to her again. Someone else is assigned to Nyma Bresett. Check your email for info.”

The email included a fully updated list of attendees, and Keith wasn’t surprised to see Lance, Hunk, Shiro, and Allura on the list as well. He sent the paperwork to print, picking up Katie’s information as soon as the printer spit it out. Her updated portfolio had information from the Sunday morning articles in it and guilt roiled in his stomach for a moment before he reminded himself it wasn’t his fault.

Not directly, at least. But Katie’s suspicions about Midnight were wearing off on him, and he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she was right to be concerned.

Either way, he should probably update her on his assignment. Unlocking his phone, he went into his contacts, found ANSWER ME, and typed up a quick text.

 

**Keith 9:03 AM**

I got reassigned to you

**ANSWER 9:05 AM**

No need to sound so excited about it :P

**ANSWER 9:05 AM**

But good. I was hoping for that.

**Keith 9:07 AM**

You wanted to dance with me again that badly?

**ANSWER 9:08 AM**

Uhhh I was thinking it would be easier to tag you but your dancing is fine too I guess.

**Keith 9:08 AM**

I’m offended

**ANSWER 9:10 AM**

Do you want fries with that?

 

Keith snorted. That had to be at the bottom of the list for smart comebacks, but for some reason it was funny coming from her.

He’d be lying, though, if he said he wasn’t looking forward to dancing with her again.

 

**ANSWER 9:12 AM**

I’ll see you Thursday night.

**Keith 9:13 AM**

I’ll unlock the door for you this time

**ANSWER 9:14 AM**

Aww that’s sweet of you.

**Keith 9:15 AM**

...but I’m only unlocking it if you bring me more lemon bars

**ANSWER 9:17 AM**

Wow okay I see how it is.

**ANSWER 9:18 AM**

You realize I’m getting in either way though, right?

**Keith 9:19 AM**

If you’re not bringing lemon bars I won’t be home

**ANSWER 9:23 AM**

Alright, alright, Hunk said he’d make more lemon bars for you.

**Keith 9:24 AM**

I’ll be here then *grin emoji*

 

Katie actually _knocked_ when she came on Thursday night. When Keith opened the door, she held up a plate of saran-wrapped lemon bars and said, “I have come with the peace offering. Do I have permission to enter?”

Keith chuckled and stepped aside. Something warm filled his chest now that she was here, but he tried not to think about it. “Offering accepted.”

Katie left the lemon bars on the kitchen table and dug a small gray device out of her pocket. “This is the tracker. It can go in your sock tomorrow.”

He gingerly took the pill-like device from her, looking over the smooth surface and seam around the edge. “Smart.”

Katie grinned. “It is, thank you. Hunk helped me with that. Anyway, the five of us are going to arrive to the party separately and only Allura and I will really interact with you, since we talked with you at the last party. The other three will watch from a distance and monitor your devices, including checking you for any bugs we didn’t put on you. I’m going to leave our mic on you, and hopefully it makes it all the way back to Midnight. All you have to do is act normal, and that’s the basics for tomorrow night.”

Keith slipped the tracker into his jeans pocket and unwrapped the lemon bars. “Right. And then we never speak again.”

Katie hesitated for a moment and Keith looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

“Yeah. Then we never speak again,” she conceded.

Keith went to grab a lemon bar but changed his mind. “Look, I thought a lot about what you said Sunday night. About seeing me as a person.”

Katie’s hazel eyes got big and curious. “You did?”

“Yeah. And...well, if you still want to hear it, I can tell you my side of the story.”

She nodded. “Yes, I do still want to hear it.”

Keith ran a hand through his hair and started off slowly. “You know about my parents and the foster families. I don’t want to talk about those, but it’s part of why I got frustrated during my senior year. I was turning eighteen, and I didn’t have a family that would keep me or enough money to support myself. I panicked. I started hanging out with a rougher crowd and taking odd jobs _— really _ odd jobs. Stuff that wasn’t really legal.  
“My teachers noticed something was off, and they tried different things like pulling me aside to talk or just putting me in detention. Someone called my foster parents and they tried talking to me about it. I didn’t listen to any of it. I stopped caring about school and stopped going. I got...I got really angry. I left and started living in the streets.”

Katie’s eyes softened, but she didn’t interrupt him.

“Midnight scouted me a few months later. Said they’d give me a place to live and all the training I needed if I’d work for them. It sounded really stupid, and I hated parties—I still do, actually, just not as much I guess—but the pay is good and if I only had to work part time, then I figured I could handle it. So...I accepted.”

“How did they scout you?”

Keith shrugged. “A lady named Acxa came across me in the subway. Said if I cleaned up, I’d look good enough for the job. The rest they could provide.”

Katie thought about it for a moment, her gaze drifting as she considered. Finally, she met his gaze again. “Thank you for trusting me enough to share. And I know it’s a stupid thing to say when I didn’t know you during all of this, but I’m sorry. Not in a pity kind of way, but just...I’m sorry. You must be strong to go through all of this alone.”

He didn’t think of himself as strong, really, but he just said “Thanks.” He took a deep breath, suddenly a little self-conscious. “I’ll see you tomorrow then?”

Katie started. “Oh. Yeah. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

**

Keith was more agitated than usual as Acxa and Ezor got him ready for the gala. “Stay still,” Acxa reprimanded as she worked on his eyebrows. “Or I’ll pull a hair I’m not supposed to.”

Meanwhile, Ezor brushed knots out of his hair. “Are you super excited to see that inventor again tonight?” She giggled. “I’ve never seen you this nervous.”

“I’m not nervous,” Keith lied. He was, but it wasn’t about Katie really.  Or...maybe it was. A bit. Definitely mostly nervous about secretly investigating Midnight, though, not about a girl.

Acxa switched to foundation and Keith sneezed when she dusted over his nose. Luckily, Acxa and Ezor expected this response by now, so Ezor had her hands out of his hair and Acxa stepped aside when he sneezed.

“It must have gone well last time if you’re assigned to her again,” Ezor said, and Keith could see her excited expression through the mirror in front of him.  
“It did,” Acxa confirmed in her usual business-like manner.

Ezor bounced, sending her high ponytail swaying. “Maybe she’ll be the one to convince you to stay for your first ever after party!”

“Absolutely not,” Keith said immediately. “I don’t do after parties.”

“Oh, come _on_. You’ve never even been to one! You have to go at least once, just for experience.”

“I think I’ll live.”

Ezor made a pouty face at him in the mirror, but when he didn’t break, she dropped it. Acxa finished with the foundation and Ezor came around to apply gel. Of the whole process, this was Keith’s least favorite part. It meant he couldn’t touch his hair again after this, and it would be stiff until he showered. But he sat still and let her do her work.

“There!” Ezor said triumphantly. She stepped back. “All done.”

Acxa held out Keith’s black suit jacket and he slipped it on over his red button up. Tonight, he had a black tie to go with his suit and a striking silver watch. “Zethrid is ready to go,” Acxa said. “She’s parked in the usual spot.”

“See you in a few hours,” Keith said.

Ezor waved cheerily and Acxa nodded.

In the car, Keith found it difficult to listen to Zethrid’s chatter as he wondered if he really was bugged. If he was, it would be on him right now. If he wanted to put a microphone on someone to eavesdrop, where would he put it? It made the most sense for it to be on his suit somewhere, since he never took that home.

Keith shifted uncomfortably.

“All right,” Zethrid said has she pulled to a stop in front of Altea City Center. The building spread out with regal pillars and lights behind every glass window. “Text me when you’re done.”

“See you then,” Keith said, stepping out of the car and buttoning his suit.

Thankfully, Keith didn’t have to wait long before he spotted Katie. She still wore a green dress, but this time it was a lighter shade and only went to her knees. She wore flats with it and had her hair half-up, half-down style that...looked really good on her. _Really_ good.

He tapped her on the shoulder to get her attention. “Fancy meeting you here,” he said.

She smiled big, and Keith’s heart skipped at the sincere warmth in it. “What a surprise to run into you again,” she said with a quick wink. “I didn’t know you were coming.”

“Can I get you a drink?”

“Eh...after what happened last time, I'd best not.”

“That's fair.”

“I would, however, like to be escorted to the snacks.”

Keith extended his elbow. “It would be my pleasure.”

Katie went straight for the chocolate-covered strawberries delicately displayed on a three-tiered food stand. “Unfortunately, they never offer peanut butter cookies at events like this,” she said as she stacked strawberries on a small plate. “Too crumbly, I guess. But chocolate strawberries are also acceptable.” She piled up a generous amount before snagging one more to hand directly to Keith. “A berry for your troubles. Though they aren't technically berries.”

Keith accepted it nonetheless and bit into it, appreciating the burst of sweetness and the way the chocolate melted in his mouth. “Acceptable,” he agreed.

“Oh Katherine Holt!” someone said.

Katie turned around as a young woman hurried up to her. “Your invention is truly incredible! Can I just say I'm a huge fan of all you've…”

Keith waited patiently as Katie spoke with the young woman, and patiently after that when two others approached her, and patiently again when someone else stopped her. After some polite chatter, Katie finally excused herself and took Keith's arm again, letting him lead her out.

“The snacks were a trap,” she whispered to him, carefully carrying her still-full plate with her free hand. “I should have seen through it.”

Keith chuckled. “You didn't have this many people talking to you last time.”

“Just as well. I don't really like talking to other famous people. It feels like it's too easy to mess that up.”

Keith led Katie up the stairs and almost got her through that crowd without interruption, but not quite. This time, though, he took the strawberries off her hands so she could focus her attention on the middle-aged man asking about the science behind invisibility.

“It's patented information,” Katie responded. “And I've been asked not to share details. I appreciate your interest, though.”

It took her a couple more tries to turn down his questions before he finally gave up. As she did this, Keith noticed Shiro in the crowd, chatting with Lance about something. Shiro smiled at Keith briefly before pretending not to pay attention.

Keith's grip on the plate tightened as the real reason why Katie was here tonight came rushing back. It wasn't to have a good time or talk with admirers.

“I need some fresh air,” Katie finally said when the man went to talk with someone else. “There are balconies on this floor, right?”

“No, they're up one more flight.”

“Right. Of course it is. I bet you five dollars I can make it to the balcony without being stopped again.”

Keith raised an eyebrow, surprised by the idea that she thought she could make it so far and surprised that she didn't seem uneasy about her real reason for being here. “Five dollars it is, then.”

Katie didn't take his arm this time and also didn't take the plate back, forcing him to navigate through people with a pyramid of delicacies. He managed (with one close call), but was disappointed to find he owed Katie five dollars when she stopped on the balcony and turned to him with a triumphant smile.

“I'll have to pay you later,” Keith said ruefully. “I didn't bring cash.”

“Hmmm. I guess that will have to do. Stand still for a minute while I fix my shoe, will you?”

She held onto his arm for support again as she lifted her left foot to reach the shoe's strap around her ankle. She pulled a small black dot free and stood up straight, reaching for his lapel. Keith didn't move, watching as she secured the small microphone underneath his right lapel. She caught his gaze for a moment and winked.

He fought back a sudden, inexplicable blush.

“Thanks,” she said, stepping back. “I took the stairs too fast or something. My shoe's all fixed now. I almost wore different shoes. Want to see the picture?”

Keith didn't, but he suspected she didn't have a picture of shoes to show him. Katie held up her phone, camera facing him, and frowned as something appeared on the screen. He raised an eyebrow, but she was too busy screenshotting to notice. She turned the phone around to show him the screen, covered in an oddly-colored image of his torso with a lime-green focus on two small devices in his suit. Thin overlayed squares and lines of text labeled the two spots. One, the device Katie had just planted. The other…

“Microphone,” she mouthed quietly.

Keith's stomach plummeted and he reached up to feel the fabric the mic was sewn into, but Katie caught his hand and held on to it.

“Flats were a better idea,” she said, and it took Keith a moment to realize she was still pretending to talk about something else. “Heels would have been painful.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, and he knew he should say more to keep the conversation casual, but he was too distracted. Why was Midnight recording his conversations?

Katie, determined to keep him on track, plucked a strawberry off the plate and put it in his mouth. “Help me eat these.”

He jumped a little, surprised, but her efforts to distract him worked and he chewed through the chocolate shell. “Anything for the lady.”

Katie laughed, and Keith was surprised by how sincere it sounded. “Maybe I should ask for a foot rub next, then.”

“I set myself up for that one.”

“You sure did.”

Keith's worries slowly abated as Katie continued to chat with him. He couldn't help but feel more at ease. Katie was smart, he knew she was, and she'd be able to figure this out. And being around her made him feel...lighter? Excited? Happy?

 _Rule number three of professional party-going: Never get attached to anyone_.

“I want to dance with you,” he said a couple hours later, suddenly worried that the night might end before he got to hold her close one more time. That they might never speak again before he really got to know her.

Katie brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, breaking eye contact for a second. “I'd like that.” The sky had gotten darker as they stood on the balcony, but the building and city lights left a soft glow on her face. “Do you want to go back inside?”

Keith shook his head. “Here is perfect.” The music was faint, but he could make out the time. He gently took her hand in his and rested his other on her waist. She raised her other hand to his shoulder and stilled, waiting for him to lead her.

Keith started with the new measure and kept the steps small, not wanting to walk her into the railing. Katie kept rhythm with him, her gaze distracted at first as she followed, but slowly she grew comfortable and looked up to meet his eyes.

Keith couldn't look away from her bright eyes, soft skin, and silky hair. The rest of the world dissolved around them and gravity shifted, pulling him towards her instead of through time and space.

His gaze dropped to her lips and she bit them nervously for a second before relaxing again. Keith's steps drifted to a stop and he leaned in cautiously, slowly, curiously.

Katie didn't pull back.

Keith's heart thumped nervously in his chest as their heads tipped, and he could feel her breath on his lips, and—

Clicking footsteps approached and the two jumped apart, startled and more than a little embarrassed. Allura stepped out onto the balcony, all smiles. “I'm headed home soon, Katie, and I was just wondering if you...why are you both...did I interrupt something?”

Keith turned away and Katie blurted, “Nope.”

Allura's hand flew to her mouth. “I didn't mean to...oh dear. After all this work.”

 _Work?_ Keith wondered. _What work?_

“Anyway,” Katie said, a little louder than necessary. “Yeah, I think I'd best get going as well. I'll...see you around, Keith?”

Keith hesitated.

_“Like I said, keep your head down and you can walk away.”_

_“Yeah. Then we never speak again.”_

Keith swallowed the lump in his throat. “See you around.”

Zethrid, Ezor, and Acxa all noticed his crestfallen mood.

“Did something happen?” Ezor asked when he got to the vanity room.

Keith just shook his head, bit Zethrid wasn't going to let it drop either. “Must have. He was even moodier than usual on the drive back.”

A device in Acxa's pocket started beeping and she pulled it free. After reading the message on the small screen, she looked at Keith suspiciously.

“I'm going to get changed,” he said, ready to get on his motorcycle and go home. He wanted to be alone.

“I'll take your suit coat,” Acxa said.

Keith hesitated.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, and he wanted to ask her the same thing.

He pulled off his suit coat and handed it over. “I'm fine.”

Acxa took it from him. “Explain why you have a microphone attached to your suit.”

Keith’s body buzzed with a burst of adrenaline. He’d been found out.

Zethrid lunged for him and he dodged her, running for the door. Except he had to get past both Acxa and Ezor to reach it, and Ezor caught his arm in a death grip. Keith tried to tear his arm free, lifting one foot for a kick, but Acxa dropped to the ground and kicked his feet out from underneath him. Keith crashed to the floor, his breath leaving him in one heavy whoosh.

As he struggled to catch his breath again, Zethrid yanked him off the floor and began dragging him out of the vanity room. She threw him in the wardrobe room, leaving him coughing on the floor.

“You can’t,” Keith rasped between breaths and coughs, “just leave...me here. Someone...will know.”

“We picked you up off the streets,” Acxa said, her eyes cold and calculating. “You live alone. No one is coming for you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter is coming soon! I meant to finish yesterday, but then my brother moved back from the other side of the US and I haven't seen him in two years, so...I was distracted lol.

**Author's Note:**

> We can all agree Keith's life would be a lot different if he hadn't met Shiro, but I bet you weren't expecting party-going as a profession ;) lol


End file.
